Saturday, January 12, 2008

Bert & Ernie, Make Room for Lupe!

“I don't know how to make a hit record; I always say this at record company meetings,” Fiasco noted. “I don't know how to experience flash-in-the-pan success, which we equate with a hit record, where you are a 'flavor of the month,' and then it dies off because that record is bigger than the artist themselves.

“I have to make great bodies of work – I'm not saying my body of work is great – but I have to intentionally make very good albums. I'm like the 'no-hit wonder,' because there are no hits on my albums. So, people are more interested in me as an artist, and that's one of the key ingredients for me to be successful, to be relevant.

“It's the difference between selling a million records and making a ton of money on a (music) ring-tone, and then disappearing, or hustling and grinding and really working hard. It pays off in the end. Because concert promoters can say: 'You only have one song.' But they can't pull that with me; I've got two hours of good songs.”

4 comments:

That's funny that he calls himself a "no-hit wonder" because I think "Superstar" is both classic Lupe and yet it's got commercial appeal.

I live in the UK and some stations are madly loving that track. Not the Top 40 type stations (though they've played him occasionally) but the ones that specialise in hip-hop, r&b or "urban". The video isn't played on MTV or other mainstream music channels, that's true... But this single seems like the start of a more commercial path for Lupe.

ps. This is not a bad thing, though - hope nobody thinks I'm calling him a sell-out, lol.

So it appears The Jedi plans on sticking around on the scene for a while. Will it be just for one more album and then poof!?

I wonder?!?! If Lupe really reads this blog or does anyone know why he originally stated he was only making 3 cds? I heard this a year or so ago at least but it blows my mind everytime I think think that Lupe may only grace us w/ that little of material.

Lupe I've seen you twice in concert and both were at least a year ago in crappy gyms but MAAAAAN you rocked the mic!

I agree with kc. I feel like the middle part of the album was like a, 'Yeah I've got glitz and glam, and I can make your car shake at the stop light and make you dance (Paris, Superstar, Hi-Def, Goldwatch). Whereas on the previous album, I guess you could say Kick, Push or a Sunshine were equivalent.

It's still great that somehow, the additions have not altered his image as an artist nor his clairvoyance.

A NO HIT WONDER IS THE LEAST OF MY PROBLEMS WE ALL KNO THAT LUPE GOT BANGERS OUT THE ASS I MEAN THE STUFF ON HIS MIXTAPES COULD BE MAINSTREAM IF HE WANTED. BUT THE THING THAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST IS HIM RETIRING. I WENT TO A CD SIGNING YESTERDAY BEFORE HIS CONCERT AND I TOLD HIM PERSONALLY NOT TO RETIRE. IF HE RETIRE RAP WILL SUFFER. HIS LYRICAL ABILITY IS CURING THE GAME FROM ITS HORRIBLE STATE OF CLUB JOINTS POPPIN ON RADIO STATIONS AND HE HAS BEEN CONSISTENT SO FOR HIM TO RETIRE... I DONT KNOW WAT I WOULD DO I MEAN I LOVE THE LYRICAL RAPPERS LIKE COMMON AND MOS DEF AND KWELI AS WELL BUT I DONT THINK ANYONE MAYBE EXCEPT FOR COMMON HAS THE ABILITY TO GO COMMERCIAL AND SUCCEED.